The chairman of the Building Materials Federation says the early months of this year have seen a weakening in demand for housing but an increase in activity in civil engineering works.
In his review, which is being presented to the organisation AGM today, Joe McDonnell says 2000 was another year of increased output in the construction industry, with consequent strong demand for building materials.
The number of house completions climbed to a record of just under 50,000.
Mr McDonnell welcomed the start of the implementation of the National Development Plan, but warned that adequate resources for the planning system were essential if its objectives were to be achieved.
